Editor's note: this story contains scenes of non-consensual or reluctant sex.
*****
PART 1 -- REVENGE OF THE SCAMMED
Chapter 1
Rob was just the person I most wanted to see when I came into the office that morning. He's in the IT department where I work, and he's always been very pleasant and helpful whenever I have a need for assistance with my department's equipment.
I've been put in charge of converting all our company's paper documents to scanned files (making sure to include every scrap of attached info) for records dating from years back, clear up to the present, pending the sale of the corporation. We'd even had to retrieve files that had been held in storage for more than a decade. Oh, the overtime I've logged! (Not paid, mind you, but logged.)
It was grueling work at times, leaving me with a stiff neck by the end of my day, but my dear husband, Darren, has a magical touch when it comes to easing my pain and suffering! After a long day, his strong fingers would knead the base of my neck and across my shoulder blades over and over, as he'd lean close to my ear, whispering all the delightful things he was going to do to me...
right after dinner
.
He always said that last part with a grin.
Anyway, the night before, after Darren had fallen asleep, my aching neck bothered me enough to keep me awake. I went quietly into the kitchen for some water to drink while taking a couple of over-the-counter pain meds, and then settled down in front of our computer in the den, waiting for the promised relief to kick in.
Thank God, I had closed the doors to both the bedroom and the den, because suddenly there was a harsh, blaring alarm coming from my computer, where I'd been browsing through a news story. I'd hit what I thought was the 'NEXT' button for the remainder of the article I was reading, but just as the screen flashed, I could see that it was actually inside
another
box, which was positioned right at the place where you'd expect to find that button.
Microsoft Support was flashing a screen pop-up at me, over and over, warning me to not touch my keyboard or turn off my computer. I had been hacked, and they had detected the intruder and locked up my system. The only way to safely proceed was to immediately call the support number given, to repair the damage done.
Oh, my stars and garters, as my grandma used to say! I couldn't just leave this machine like this until morning. Darren has his own laptop for his work, but mine is the one we both use every day for, well... everything.
I called the number and explained the reason for my call. After a few seconds, that lasted just about
forever
, I was routed to a technician in their support department. He told me that a network security breach had occurred, prompting them to lock up my machine. At his direction I allowed him access to my computer, so he could analyze the issues found under my own system files and demonstrate how the Microsoft repair could prevent those in the future.
I was fascinated by what I was seeing on my own computer system. He was using a mouse, going here and there through my desktop apps and so forth. I was hoping he wouldn't open the Pictures folder, because some of those shots of me and Darren were probably illegal in some places!
I asked his name and where he was located as we spoke, since I always try for the personal touch in communicating with others. I know we're all alike, deep down, so that's how I try to connect. He said he was James Brown, and that he was in New York City.
We'd been talking for more than five minutes, when suddenly, the call dropped. There I was, holding a dead phone in my hand, still with a troubled computer, and now having lost contact with the man who was helping me!
Within a minute, as I sat wondering how next to proceed, a call came in. It was listed as being from New York, so, even though I don't usually pick up a call from a number I don't know, I answered it. It was James, apologizing for the interruption as he reassured me that he and his tech support person, who was doing the actual work, could still work on my problem.
Well, long story short, two hours and $500 later for the 'absolutely required' repair, I was left to go to bed at last, as my computer system was being worked on, probably taking another forty-five minutes to an hour. James promised to call me to verify all was perfect, later on today.
I had a bone to pick with him. When I turned on my computer that morning, I was confronted with a large window, welcoming me to some kind of protection program. That was troubling but not too inconceivable, so I tried to click on it to acknowledge the installation. Nothing happened. Nothing. I couldn't affect the box in any way. Obviously, I needed to speak with James.
I'd mentioned it to my friend, CaryAnne, when we exchanged our usual morning text greetings. Her response puzzled me. It simply read:
u been scanned
"Good morning, Rob. You got a minute?" I asked, as both Rob and I made our morning cup of preferred brew; tea for me, coffee for him.
"Sure. It actually looks like a light day for us. What do you need?" Rob stood close to six feet in height, with a crew cut that made his lost hairline unnoticeable, mostly. He loved sports and the outdoors, and being with friends and family, just like a normal guy. But, when it comes to computer know-how, he's anything
but
normal. He can do things with a computer that would make you run for cover, if you got on his bad side.
"I just got this, after I told my friend about a thing that happened with my computer last night. She says I've been scanned. I don't know what she means."
